To Burn, Pine, & Perish
by A. Tenmeadows
Summary: "Back then, we loathed each other with the white hot intensity of one thousand suns.  But now, I'm cowering like a mouse under the stare of a cat as the vixen of my fantasies makes her trek toward me… Quinn." G!P Quinn/Rachel. Don't like, don't read.
1. To Burn

**This is my first G!P fiction, but I assure you, I will not disappoint. And I'm making a promise that I will take my ADD medication, and actually FINISH this fiction for my readers' sake. **

**Enjoy! :)**

She can't see me.

She's the last to come out of the chorus room and make her way down the marble-tiled hallway. I can hear her Converses lightly thumping their way down the corridor toward my hiding place on the staircase that leads to the front office. If I let myself work enough nerve, today will be the first day I talk to her. I don't understand why I'm so afraid to open my mouth, to simply engage her in a conversation. Perhaps it's because I spend the entirety of our time in Glee analyzing what she has that I don't: sensuality, style, seduction, authority…

In short, her presence commands attention. And her entity has demanded the focus of every dream I've had every night since we met in freshman year. Back then, we loathed each other with the white hot intensity of one thousand suns. But now, I'm cowering like a mouse under the stare of a cat as the vixen of my fantasies makes her trek toward me…

Quinn.

She rounds the corner and collides with me. I catch myself on the cold metal railing, but the weight of her lithe body comes down atop me, and we're sent tumbling to the ground, the unforgiving marble knocking the wind from my lungs. But I realize when I gather myself that this is the position I've dreamt about: me, underneath her… breathless.

Her eyes meet mine in an intense stare that's incredibly hard to read, and just as quickly as the moment of intimacy arrives, it departs.

"Shit," she says as she disentangles our limbs and gathers the belongings that have fallen from her McKinley Titans Soccer duffle bag.

"I'm sorry," I hurriedly force out, sitting up and helping her collect herself. "I didn't know anyone else was still here. I left my Defying Gravity sheet music in the chorus room, and I -"

"Rachel," she breaks through my rant, surprising me both by placing her hand on my cheek and by calling me by my real name.

"It's not a big deal. I was trying to change the song on my iPod, and I wasn't looking where I was going."

I see the iPod Touch lying on the floor next to her bag, and I pick it up to hand it to her, but not before I notice the song she was listening to.

New Divide by Linkin Park. Of course.

Her hand leaves my face, but her fingertips trace my cheekbone before her arm drops to her side.

"Well," she says shakily, running her hand through her hair. "Since we're both here, would you want to hit Breadsticks or something? I've had kind of a long day…"

I'm flabbergasted. I realize now that nervousness is radiating off of Quinn. I can see that she's trying her hardest not to lean toward me, and her French-manicured nails drum lightly against the dark flare jeans that cover her toned thighs.

I realize in this instant that Quinn Fabray is anxious… because of me.

A surge of power courses through my veins, and suddenly I grow bold.

"Are you asking me on a date, Quinn?"

Her face goes white, and the green of her eyes is swallowed by her rapidly dilating pupils. The nervousness turns to palpable arousal as Quinn's hand reached for mine and leans toward me, sending blasts of color across the lens of my mind.

"Yes," my princess's sultry whisper caresses my ear.

She chuckles when a finger of apprehension runs down my spine, and she leads me back toward the stairs and out into the windy Ohio afternoon.

**Yes, it will be a multi-chapter fiction (I mean it this time, I promise). Stay tuned for Chapter 2! : )**


	2. To Pine

**So incredibly sorry for the delay, old chums. Real life kicked in, and I had an AP U.S. History project due… Anyway, here's a fluffy little Chapter 2! : )**

She's smiling at me.

We've been lingering in Breadsticks for a little over an hour, only stopping our slightly flirtatious conversation to order another plate of French fries. The red artificial leather of the booth we're sitting in sticks to my thighs and threatens to engulf my small frame. But, as I watch Quinn bring another crinkle-cut fry to her perfectly sculpted lips, I know there is nowhere else in the world I'd rather be. I lean forward, raising my arms so that my elbows rest on the faux-wood table that acts as the barrier between us.

I didn't know it was this easy to be with anyone. Quinn listens to my every word (even one of my rants about Santana and Brittany's inappropriate behavior in the back of the choir room) with a sort of twinkle in her hazel eyes. Every time I begin to think I've gone on too long, that sparkle lets me know that she's enjoying this. She's enjoying me.

"So, touch a jellyfish, or eat a bug?" Quinn says playfully, raising her eyebrows teasingly.

"Eat a bug," I chuckle while grinning at her. "I got stuck by a jellyfish when I was little, and the lifeguard made me urinate on myself to dull the pain. I've never been so embarrassed in my life."

"Oh, wow," she giggles, her laughter sonorous and dreamy. "That is pretty bad."

I fold my arms across my chest and smirk as Quinn strokes an imaginary beard to appear deep in thought.

"Alright… Eat raw octopus, or kiss a frog?"

"Kiss a frog, of course! Every fairy tale that involves kissing a frog always has a happy ending, and I do love happy endings."

She smiles tenderly at my answer, and lets her fingers weave diamond-shaped patterns from my elbow to my wrist and back again. A comfortable silence hangs between us as her eyes shine into mine. I wish I could just freeze this moment; just stay this way until the end of time. I want to discard those years of slushies, ridicule, and embarrassment that makes up the history between Quinn and I. I want to erase all of it, and trade it for this; just this moment of pure content and affection.

"It seems I'm no match for you, Rach," she admits in mock deflation. But in an instant, her blonde head pops up again, and her eyes glint with mischief. "But, I have one final question. Answer it honestly, and I'll let you drive wherever you want for the rest of the evening."

"Deal," I agree before crossing my legs underneath the table and bracing myself for her inquiry.

"Okay… Kiss a frog, or kiss me?"

My heart stops. My palms suddenly feel slippery, and my legs go numb. All of the sound in the restaurant falls away, like a television on mute. The world seems out of focus, and Quinn's flawless face is the only thing that isn't blurry. Her face holds a satisfied smirk, reminding me of the nature of her question. Surely she knows which answer I'll choose… She has to know. My adoration for her is so blatantly obvious, even Kurt has had to tell me to stop gaping at her when she walks down the hallways.

What would I say? Since the first time I saw her freshman year (and even despite the horrid acts of bullying that followed), I've dreamt of kissing her. Every night, she appears in my fantasies and allows me to taste the tepid velvet of her lips. And now, sitting in Lima's only decent restaurant with cheap carpeting beneath my feet, I have the chance to tell her.

But I can't.

"The frog," I almost choke out as if the words had been cutting off my airway.

Quinn's beautiful lips curl into a positively radiant smile.

"Final answer, Rach?"

She leans over the table, her face inches above mine. I can kiss her now if I want to. And I want to… so badly. My head reels, and my body feels bathed in flames as I catch a whiff of her sweet natural aroma.

"Final answer," I assure her as I try to slow my heartbeat. "I have an affinity for amphibians."

My apparent physical reaction makes Quinn's smile widen as she relaxes in the booth again.

"You know," she sighs thoughtfully, standing up to shake the crumbs off of her red Titans baby tee. "I believe I finally know what I want to do with my life."

My eyebrows crinkle to form a confused expression. "And what could that be, Quinn?"

She reaches into her jeans pocket to pull out her car keys and slides them to across the table to me before speaking again.

"I plan on completing the necessary training in order to become a full-time frog."

My heart squeezes as she throws me a wink while making her way to the front of the restaurant to pay.

Oh, no… I'm already falling.


	3. To Perish

**I'm so glad to know you guys loved the new chapter! It's a rare bit of fluff for me, and I had fun writing it. By the way, my girlfriend came up with Quinn's "frog" line… So you can thank her for that. : )**

**Now, here's a little treat for the weekend… a super long Chapter 3!**

She's relaxing with me.

"Watch for kids," Quinn teases as she slides into the passenger's seat of her red Volkswagen Beetle. "I can't afford to buy another pity plate of French fries."

"Who said it was out of pity?" I shoot back a little too quickly while I adjust the rearview mirror and put the key into the ignition.

"Oh, c'mon, Rachel… We both know you only came out with me because you felt bad for running into me in the hallway this afternoon."

I wince at how unbelievably wrong she is. She doesn't know that I'd accompanied her just to look at her. She can't know I'd come along with the hope that she might finally feel something between us… even the tiniest spark might be enough to start a warm fire of love. But for now, I know that it's probably best for her to remain oblivious.

"Trust me, Quinn," I scoff, turning the car onto the freeway. "No amount of pity would make me go out on a date with McKinley's Flavor of the Month."

"Oh, very funny, Rach," she giggles and nudges me in the ribs with her elbow. "Since you are driving the "Flavor's" car, can you at least tell me where we're going?"

I stick my tongue out childishly and bear down on the accelerator with the tip of my shoe. Focusing on the road with Quinn in the car is proving to be exceedingly difficult. Her perfume-like scent is amplified in the enclosed space, and her face is outlined beautifully by the iridescent light of the now pink Ohio sky. It takes me a moment to realize that she has spoken again.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I was just wondering what your parents would think about you going out on a date… And with me, no less," Quinn muses playfully before winking again.

"Well," I draw in a deep breath, "Shelby has made it painfully clear that she doesn't want to be a part of my life now that I'm a teenager, and Dad and Daddy are out at a benefit dinner tonight in Cleveland, so I suppose they don't mind."

I can't help the way my jaw clenches when I mention Shelby, and my knuckles turn white as my grip on the steering wheel tightens. The sound of the engine is all that hangs between us for a few moments. I can feel Quinn's eyes on me, and the road ahead of me begins to swim in front of my eyes.

"Rachel," Quinn whispers tenderly.

I can tell by the tone in her sultry voice that she's choosing her words very carefully.

"If you value your existence, Quinn Fabray, you will not say you're sorry. I can't stand being pitied. I'm a big girl."

My voice cracks at the last word, and I suddenly feel myself choking back tears. The tepid warmth of Quinn's hand encircles mine, causing the blood to pound in my ears.

"I AM sorry, Rachel. Do whatever you want to me, but every girl deserves to have their mom. Even if they're screwed up, like my parents…"

Her voice trails off as she gives my hand a gentle squeeze. I flash a weak grin, but I don't let go of her hand… It feels too good to be close to her.

"You realize that you know have to suffer dire consequences, don't you? You apologized."

I hold a laugh in my voice, and Quinn's thumb rubs slow circles on the back of my hand.

"Oh, really," she smiles. "And what exactly are these 'dire consequences'?"

"I was just going to push you into the River and be done with it," I chortle darkly, guiding her car onto the gravel drive of the Ottawa River Landing Marina.

"Ah, the marina," Quinn muses as she runs a nervous hand through her hair. "What makes you think I can't swim?"

I send her an incredulous look as I park in a spot near the dock.

"Noah's pool party back in freshman year. Santana pushed you into the deep end, and you went into such a panic that Finn had to jump in, fully clothed, and get you out."

I turn off the car and stare at Quinn, whose face holds a look of utter disbelief.

"Y-You were there?" she asks, her eyes wide.

"I used to live next door to Noah. I just looked through the slats in the fence when I heard the screaming coming from the backyard."

Quinn's face flushes in embarrassment (something I find absolutely adorable) and gives me a lukewarm grin as we step out of the car and begin the walk down the main dock.

Her hand finds mine in the dusk air, and I honestly hope she can see me smile.

**Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R**

"So you're here often, I take it?" Quinn asks, rolling up the legs of her jeans and pressing her low-cut socks into her red Converses.

We had bypassed all of the vessels in the marina, and now sit on a small stretch of dock that juts into the creek. I shrug at her question as I absentmindedly trace the small Sharpie outline on the heel of the left shoe as she slides it off. _#13_… her soccer and powderpuff football number; I know because I paint it on my left cheek in red paint for every game. I don't think she's ever noticed me there… But I go to every single McKinley Lady Titans game, just to see her beautiful face. And, of course, to see her amazingly toned body run circles around every other athlete in Ohio.

"Not anymore," I murmur as I dip my bare feet into the warm water, allowing my legs to dangle from the pier as a gentle tide beat against my ankles. "I stopped coming after I saw you and Harmony at Breadsticks a few months ago."

A palpable nervous energy flows through the air as Quinn watches me. My gaze fixates on my lap; my fingers twist and untwist on top of my thighs.

"Rachel," Quinn husks softly as she tucks a lock of my hair behind my right ear (just like I had seen her do with Harmony… but I quickly put that out of my mind).

Her fingertips linger on my jaw for a moment, and I let out a sigh I didn't know I'd been holding in.

"Why her, Quinn," I breathe.

My voice wobbles, and I can already feel the hot tears welling up in my eyes, threatening to spill onto my cheeks at any second. Quinn's hand moves from my jaw to my knee, her thumb stroking it soothingly through the denim of my pants' leg.

"Rachel Barbra Berry," she says gently. "Look at me."

When her soft, comforting hazel eyes meet mine in the glow of dusk, the tears fall free, and Quinn catches them with her thumb and wipes them away.

"I chose Harmony because she was the only girl in Ohio that could even come close to you. I -"

"That's ridiculous, Quinn," I interrupt hastily, sobs overtaking me. "I'm self-centered, egotistical, pig-headed, and, as you and Santana have been telling me since freshman year, I have 'man hands'! Why on Earth would you want to date someone just like ME?"

Suddenly, I find my face buried in Quinn's shirt as her strong arms hold me to her; I can't help clutching the red fabric as the last of my resolve breaks. Shivers wrack my entire body as Quinn tenderly strokes my hair. I feel so helpless, crying into the shirt of someone who, until just a few hours ago, had been my primary tormenter and first love (an unprecedented combination, according to Mercedes).

However, I'm calmed by both the fact that her usually carefree voice is now laced with sincerity, and by the fact that the rise and fall of Quinn's chest matches the tranquil pulse of the water on my calves.

"You're more than that, Rachel," Quinn whispers, her lips grazing the top of my head. "You're smart, and you have the kindest heart of anyone I know. Your smile is contagious, and you have more talent than anyone else in this stupid town."

I smile against her collarbone, and my own arms detangle themselves from hers to wind around her neck. My fingers draw small diamond patterns at the nape of her neck, swirling around the unruly strands of blonde hair there... And I know that I've never felt as at peace as I do now.

"And Rachel?" she lifts my chin so that her eyes sparkle into mine. "You're beautiful."

She slowly closes the distance between us, and her lips softly brush mine… And before I know it, I'm pulling her in again.

My mind can see them, and my heart can feel them… Fireworks.


	4. To Play

**Hello, my wonderful readers! Oh, how I've missed you all so. Here's a little weekender for you… Chapter 4! Enjoy! : )**

She's at peace with me.

When our lips reluctantly part and I find the strength to open my eyes again, I'm able to marvel at the way the setting Ohio sun frames Quinn's face like a halo, her hazel eyes gentle and soothing as they gaze into my own.

We sit like that for a while, the river's waters ebb and flow at my calves while Quinn's arms remain tight around me. The eye contact is finally broken when she moves to rest her chin lightly on the crown of my head, her fingers tracing circular designs in the goosebumps on my forearm that no doubt stemmed from the mind-blowing kiss we'd just shared. Quinn's touch is the only reminder that I haven't slipped into one of my fantasies. It's not light and ghost-like, as it always is when I dream of her at night. It's earthy and real, and I love it.

I bury my face deeper into her shirt and take a deep breath of her wonderful aroma into my nostrils. When I aversely exhale the sweet scent, Quinn's feather-soft lips poise themselves against my ear, her melodious voice gently stroking my mind.

"Still want to push me in?"

I can't hold back the smile that bursts forward from within me. If only she knew what I'm thinking… If only she knew how badly I want her, she would understand that pushing her into the Ottawa River is an almost laughable concept given the circumstances. I shake my head slowly against her collarbone as I pat her knee reassuringly.

"You got lucky, Fabray."

Quinn chuckles softly into my hair before threading our fingers together.

"I certainly did."

As she squeezes me tighter, I know she's not just talking about drowning.

**R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R-Q-R**

"You tell anyone what you saw or heard today, Quinn, and I can promise you that I'll be performing my first Broadway production in prison while awaiting the start of your murder trial. Do I make myself clear?"

I stride gingerly back to the driver's side of Quinn's car barefoot, her hand still enclosed in mine (a fact that makes me absolutely giddy). The hood of nightfall crashes around us as she slides between me and he driver's side door, effectively blocking my path. A sly grin creeps across her face in the dim light.

"When are you going to understand, Rachel Barbra Berry," she whispers into the silence of the parking lot before taking a step toward me.

My breathing hitches and the shoes I had been carrying fall to the pebbles beneath my feet. Quinn flashes my favorite half-smile, and runs her manicured index finger down the line of my jaw. I can't help closing my eyes and letting the sheer euphoria that always accompanies her touch pass through my body.

"You can't intimidate someone who knows your weakness."

Quinn takes another step toward me and quickly wraps her arms around my waist before I can protest. My head reels as she lowers her lips to the smooth plane of my neck, just below my ear. Suddenly, the entire world bursts into flame, and the heat seems to liquefy the very fiber of my being. My fingers tangle themselves in her silky blonde hair to pull her closer, and I press my entire torso flush against hers. Her mouth forms a seal on my neck, and one of the most erotic moans I've ever heard erupts from somewhere within me.

I grind my hips into hers again in an attempt to create some sort of friction, and another surge of energy almost disarms me completely when I feel Quinn's right hand stray from my hip and roam to the back pocket of my jeans.

And it's in this moment that I know what game she's playing.

"Keep dreaming, Fabray," I snort breathlessly before twisting out of her embrace and pulling her car keys from the pocket she had been fondling.

As I dangle them playfully in front of her, a smirk on my face, Quinn holds up her hands in surrender.

"You win again, Rach," she manages to say, her breathing labored from her ministrations and my clear response to them. She steps aside and allows me to unlock the car door and slide into the driver's seat.

It's when she closes the door behind me that I turn my head and see it… A blatantly obvious tent in the crotch of her jeans. It's only a moment, but I'm sure that it was there. My suspicion is confirmed when I see her palming it as she rounds the back of the car and plops down in the passenger seat.

_So the rumors are true,_ I think to myself before revving the engine and guiding the car out of the parking lot and back onto the main road.

**AN: Now, I need some input from my reviewers on this next part, because as previously stated, this is my first G!P fiction.  
>What should the story behind Quinn's "extra equipment" be? Shoot me some PMs so I can get an idea of what you guys would like to see.<strong>

**Thanks! - A. Tenmeadows : )**


	5. To Prove

**My apologies for the hiatus, dear friends. I've spent all this time trying to put together the perfect G!P background for Quinn, and I think I've finally got it.**

**Review and let me know what you think! : )**

She's nervous with me.

"Quinn," I say gently, the gears turning in my head as I navigate the quiet Lima streets.

I'm trying to choose my words carefully, because there is no way I'm going to alienate my sweet angel by bombarding her with questions.

"Yeah, Rach?" she smiles, a sight so radiant that it's almost iridescent in the backlight of the dashboard.

Her thumb rubs soothing circles on the back of my hand, and I swallow the lump in my throat before trying to speak again.

"What is that?" I ask as I gesture to her lap, my voice so quiet I'm scarcely sure she heard me.

The soothing movement of her thumb stops, and I can feel her hazel eyes on me as I guide the Volkswagen into the parking lot of my apartment complex. I turn off the car, place the keys in the cup-holder to my left, unbuckle my seatbelt, and slowly turn in my seat to face her. It breaks my heart to see the beautiful eyes of my angel misted over by tears. She hangs her head after a moment, and then looks up to meet my eyes again. After a deep breath, she speaks in a shaky, small version of her normally light voice.

"I was stupid to think I could hide it," she murmurs, liquid tendrils of emotion streaming down her cheeks now.

"Hide what, exactly, Quinn?"

I'm careful not to press too hard… But I have to hear it for myself. Another bout of silence passes before Quinn mutters again softly.

"I'm intersex, Rachel. I'm a 17 year old girl… with a fully functioning penis."

As soon as she says it, Quinn's body is wracked by powerful sobs, her shoulders shaking violently as tears continue to fall from her eyes. I'm both surprised and heartbroken to see someone so strong crumble right in front of my eyes. I squeeze her hand tight; a gesture I hope tells her that I'm still here… And that I don't plan on leaving.

"Quinn, look at me."

When her ordinarily mesmerizing hazel irises, now clouded over by pain and tears, meet my own brown ones, I let my eyes send her a gaze filled with all the adoration and gentleness in the world. It seems to both surprise and confuse her, and I give her a reassuring smile to show that I meant it.

"_And when I hear you on the radio_," I croon slowly, the notes filled with every ounce of devotion I can muster. Her watery eyes lock on mine in a powerful expression of gratefulness.

"_I'd never want to change a single note. It's what I've tried to say all along. You're my favorite song_."

Quinn flashes my favorite half-smile, and her thumb restarts its pleasant ministrations on the back of my hand. She wipes her eyes delicately so as not to smear her mascara and the sobs gradually begin to subside. It takes a moment for her to find her voice again.

"Really, Rach?" she chuckles softly. "Camp Rock 2?"

"It worked, didn't it?" I laugh along with her, the weight visibly lifted off of her shoulders. "You're a girl, Quinn. You're a breathtakingly beautiful, talented, intelligent, amazingly strong GIRL. No 'extra appendage' is going to change that. And I'm willing to accept it because it's part of who you are, and I wouldn't change a thing about you."

This time happy tears well up in her eyes, and she leans in to place a very tender kiss against my lips. I can't help thinking that there are a million things I would do in order to have her kiss me like that again, and a dopey smile creeps across my face when she pulls away.

"Thank you, Rachel," she breathes in a sigh of relief.

"Don't thank me yet," I say with a smile in my voice. "You still have to come upstairs with me and explain to Dad and Daddy why I'm getting home so late."

Quinn laughed her melodious laugh and let her hand stray from mine to softly caress my cheek.

"Sounds like a plan."

God, my heart is soaring.

**AN: Yes, I know, a little short, but I'm updating twice today! "_Forget your troubles, c'mon, get happy..._" : )**


	6. To Pontificate

**Simply because I took so long to update between chapters 4 and 5, I'm giving you guys a little treat… A chapter 6 on the same day! Yay! : )**

Taking my house key out my shoulder bag causes a pang of anxiety to stab at my mind.

_Relax_, I tell myself as my left shoe crosses the threshold, taking me out of the elevator and into the hall. _Quinn is perfect. Dad and Daddy will forget all about what she's put you through when they see how you feel about her._

Quinn and I stand in front of apartment 13B of Lima Corners Luxury Apartments, and I begin to shift my weight from one foot to the other in earnest. Apparently sensing my uneasiness, Quinn gently taps the small of my back. I look up into her breathtaking eyes, and she gives me a reassuring nod in fluorescent light of the corridor.

Just as my gold star-covered key hits the metal of the lock, the navy blue door is replaced with the concerned face of my Daddy Leroy. He scowls darkly when he sees Quinn, and I can feel her tense under his glare.

Anyone who's ever spent any time with Leroy Berry knows he's a very gentle spirit with an incredibly kind heart. Unfortunately, to those who have harmed his little star (his pet name for me since I was a baby) such as Quinn, he can be just like a lion on the safari, viciously attacking all who approach his young.

"Rachel Barbra Berry, where in the name of Godspell have you been?" his gaze is fixated on me now, and I can't help but cower a little at his stern tone.

"Daddy, I can explain –"

"HIRAM!" Daddy booms through the apartment. "She's here!"

"Daddy, please don't be upset –"

"And what in heaven's name is SHE doing here?" Daddy jerks a thumb in Quinn's direction, as if she's a piece of furniture. My angel looks like she just wants to sink into the white-painted slats of the landing and disappear.

"DADDY, PLEASE!"

I push past my Daddy hurriedly, clasping Quinn's hand and dragging her over to the chic black leather couch in our living room. I drop my shoulder bag on the mahogany hardwood floor and collapse on the sofa next to my incredibly beautiful partner, who sends me her signature grin before draping an arm around my shoulders and letting me snuggle into her side.

Daddy, after shutting the front door behind us and smoothing out his salmon J. Crew collared shirt with the lobster on the lapel, sits down in one of the armchairs across the white coffee table from us. He seems to glare more intensely at Quinn, and I clear my throat to get his attention.

"As you know, Daddy, the Glee Club has our Sectionals coming up –"

"Yes, Rachel," Daddy runs across me in an exasperated tone. "We spent $200 on your shoes for the occasion."

At this, Quinn sends me an amused smirk; a look that makes me want to kiss her for all she's worth.

"Don't you say a word," I whisper to her before turning my attention back to my adoptive father. She swallows her chuckle and steels herself once again.

"Anyway, Quinn and I will be working on a duet for the aforementioned competition. We were rehearsing this afternoon and lost track of time."

"Well, that sounds like a reasonable explanation, Leroy," my Dad Hiram says as he glides into the room.

He sits down in the other armchair and places his hand on Daddy's knee before sending Quinn and I a wink.

"But Hiram, the Fabray girl –"

"No doubt has a wonderful voice," Dad interjects, clearly trying to diffuse the palpable tension.

"She really does, Daddy," I agree, looking up into Quinn's eyes and sharing a silent lovestruck exchange.

Rising from the chair and pulling Daddy with him, Dad begins making his way down the small landing to our Oscar room in the basement.

"Now that that's all settled, Leroy, we need to figure out which swatches to use for the wall behind the bar…"

I breathe a sigh of relief and relax against Quinn as she chuckles lightly. Suddenly, Dad pops his head out from behind the wall that conceals the landing.

"You owe me big, Rae. You've got two hours… make them count," he says softly to me. He then turns to Quinn and smiles. "And as always, it's nice to see you, Quinn."

He dips back down to the basement again, and we wait until we hear the door close before we burst into a fit of giggles.

"Wow," Quinn sighs before pressing a kiss to my forehead. "What a family."

**AN: And this concludes the A. Tenmeadows To Burn, Pine, & Perish Double-Update Extravaganza! Hope you enjoyed, and I will do my best to update again soon! : )**


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